Arizona’s ‘Gold Standard of Education Freedom’ and How to Get It Done in Arkansas

Success. Victory. School Choice. Educational Freedom. The gold standard. Parental rights. Children first. Funding children. All these headlines have been flowing out of the state of Arizona after their historic school choice legislation was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey this summer. A true educational freedom law that will fund students and children instead of government institutions and lobbyists for liberal teacher unions. In Arizona, parents can now use tax dollars for their children’s education for whichever choice is best for their child – government school, private school, homeschool, virtual school, private tutors, or variations of these. The child is put at the forefront of the decision, not a school district, or administrator, or whoever has the best lobbyists in the state capitol.

When you start thinking of how to improve government schools in Arkansas think three words to tell your state legislator – Arizona School Choice. The answer to combatting critical race theory is passing Arizona School Choice. The answer to the sexualization of children is Arizona School Choice. The answer to educational success and growth is Arizona School Choice. We cannot keep funding and running our government schools with the same people and the same way and expect things to improve for the next generation.

When woke superintendents fight to have drag shows in pre-school or teachers try to convince middle schoolers they are transgender the response should be Arizona School Choice as the solution.

Arizona is a purple state. Trump won it in 2016 before Biden was awarded the states electoral votes in 2020. They have the slimmest of Republican majority margins in their state legislature. This legislation (HB2853) was passed by a single vote Republican majority in the house and senate before being signed by the Republican governor.

Under the new law all students are eligible for up to $6,500 per year for their education. All children who are eligible for public schools are eligible to receive the funding to direct to their educational choice. Parents now have control and the resources to ensure their child is getting the best education with the tax dollars set aside for this purpose. That may be at public schools, private schools, homeschooling, virtual school, tutors, or a combination of all the above. Government bureaucrats, special interests, and liberal woke superintendents will no longer have complete control over children for eight hours a day with no funded alternatives.

The reaction to the new law was predictable. Parents and children celebrated. Conservatives and school choice advocates saw their biggest win to date with the most expansive school choice program in the country. One of the best outspoken advocates of school choice and a University of Arkansas graduate, Corey DeAngelis, recently joined Conduit News in an interview highlighting the victory.

The teacher’s union and those who profit from government schools have already launched an initiative to take access to education away from millions of children. Petitions have been submitted and it looks like they may fall short in their support to repeal the law at the ballot.

Arkansas is in a perfect position to pass the same type of legislation in the 2023 legislative session. A supermajority for Republicans in the house and senate and a new Republican governor creates the environment for historic success for children, parents, and the future of the state. The House and Senate must begin now strategizing on who they will place on the education committees. In years past these committees have been overlooked, and usually result in anti-choice members selecting it as their first choice and low seniority Republicans being placed on the committee as a leftover spot. The House and Senate must seize the moment and place their best advocates of school choice on these committees to not only ensure the votes are there to pass it, but ensure the messaging and advocacy are on message to gain further support.

Another potential positive outcome in passing Arizona style school choice in Arkansas is fulfillment of educational “adequacy” as required by the Arkansas constitution. For decades, the government educational industrial complex has gotten rich off of lawsuits requiring complex government made formulas for funding of institutions instead of the kids themselves. Moving to an equal funding amount for every student eligible for public schools should achieve adequacy. Inflation adjustments or area-specific cost of living adjustments could be made accordingly if necessary. Either way this should put an end to the argument you cannot pass school choice because of the educational adequacy funding formulas. You could even keep those formulas or versions to set the baseline of the dollar amount for students each year.

Conduit continues to lead the way in Arkansas on school choice coverage and advocacy. You can find recent interviews and articles from experts across the state and country, including the Heritage Foundation, the Association of Christian Schools International, and the American Federation for Children.

Do not miss the Conduit News original series “Wolf’s Words” with Dr. Patrick Wolf, Distinguished Professor of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas and school choice expert.

Legislators should take note of those who did not support school choice that lost their Republican primary elections in 2022 (Sen. James Sturch, Sen. Bill Sample, Rep. David Hillman, Rep. David Tollett) and even more won their primaries from challengers or moving from the house to the senate while supporting school choice in their elections.

In the recent past, even with a supermajority Republican legislature, school choice legislation has failed. Below is a breakdown of Republican legislators who will be returning (or who are running for re-election) and their voting records in the past on school choice legislation. You can contact them now to get their positions on school choice and have them commit to passing Arizona style school choice.

Senate:

House:

Additional Coverage of Arizona School Choice Legislation:

Conduit News

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey Press Statement

Fox News

Fee

The Wall Street Journal

State Policy Network

American Federation for Children

Goldwater Institute

Reason

John Stossel

Former Trump Sec. of Education Betsy DeVos – Washington Free Beacon

National Review